Franca Rame And Dario Fo Analysis

The word terrorism does not often call to mind the image a young woman or a wife or a mother. Yet, that is exactly what comes to mind when one mentions the name Ulrike Meinhof, a German left-wing militant, who co-founded the Red Army Faction in 1970. This militant group was responsible for a series of bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and bank robberies throughout the 1970s, and many people harbor feelings of anger and hatred for the group. Therefore, it was a bold decision for Franca Rame and Dario Fo to write and perform the monologue, I’m Ulrike – Screaming. This monologue, which took place in the Stammheim prison, gives Ulrike a voice and humanizes her in a way that the media and government never did. There are certainly several reasons for this unique decision, but two of the most prominent were the authors’ political views and the opportunity for the authors to make a comment on feminism. Indeed, the thought of humanizing a terrorist in this day and age is absolutely appalling to most people and it is therefore overpowering that this monologue was written and performed so blatantly. Why did the authors decide to take such a risk? The first major reason is their political views: Franca Rame and Dario Fo did not actually view Ulrike Meinhof as a terrorist. The couple was …show more content…
Indeed, they chose to reinforce her humanness and focus on her beliefs and feelings. This decision emphasized their political and feminist opinions and despite the fact that this decision may have been offensive to many people, they stood by their choice. Most importantly though, this monologue, like several other monologues written by the couple, helped to push the limits of theater and political expression in Italy. Despite the controversial nature of this work, it is certainly an exceptional piece of